The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a set of tougher sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which is seen as a necessary price Pyongyang has to pay for its recent nuclear test and satellite launch. It is also a necessary effort by the international community to safeguard the nuclear non-proliferation regime.
However, the sanctions themselves are not the objective, but a tool to curb the DPRK's ability to further develop its nuclear and missile programs and to promote denuclearization on the peninsula. Meanwhile, the resolution can not offer a fundamental solution to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, as it can only be resolved through dialogue and negotiations.
In a series of violations of relevant Security Council resolutions, the DPRK conducted its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 this year and used ballistic missile technology to launch a satellite on Feb. 7. The peninsula nuclear issue has been a sore point in regional affairs for years and represents an uncertainty element in the security situation of Northeast Asia.
Putting the issue into the historic perspective, it is easy to see that the mistrust between the United States and the DPRK are the major sources of tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Amid the long-standing U.S. military presence on the Korean Peninsula, Pyongyang mistakenly treats the nuclear and missile program, a "legacy" of the Cold War, as an important part of its defense strategy. It is time for the United States to show its sincerity toward settling the Korean nuclear issue through political means, including the efforts to pave the way for the resumption of the China-proposed six-party talks, the only viable forum that meets the interest of all parties.
On the other hand, the DPRK should honor its commitment to denuclearization and refrain from taking actions that worsen the situation. At the same time, all the other parties should keep cool-headed, stay on the path toward a peaceful solution and avoid taking actions that stoke the flames. China, a close neighbor of the Korean Peninsula and also a responsible power in the world, presses firmly ahead with denuclearization on the peninsula and calls for a proper solution to the Korean nuclear issue through dialogue and consultations under the framework of the six-party talks.
At the council meeting here, China's efforts to bring all the parties concerned to the negotiation table won accolade from many countries. China, which firmly opposes Pyongyang's nuclear tests and satellite launch, recently put forward a proposal of parallel tracks that means the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the replacement of the Korean armistice with a peace agreement. The proposal is regarded as a reasonable, responsible and feasible one. The efforts in this regard, which serve the interest of all the parties concerned, should be taken as a shared responsibility and a goal that all parties work for. The latest development on the Korean Peninsula illustrates the urgency and necessity for the resumption of the six-party talks. There is still a long way to go before recommencing the long-stalled six-party talks, but there is no way at all to ensure enduring peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula if some of the parties are still choosing to wait and see.
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